Why Community?

If you're a church "insider," the words Community Ministry may sound unfamiliar. They were to me, but that's part of the reason I chose them.

I've heard of Outreach, Benevolence, Caring, and Charity Ministries. Until late 2005, we had a Benevolence Ministry, in fact. But all those names seemed to leave something out at best, or at worst, imply the wrong thing.

I didn't want this ministry to be about handouts or charity. Charity is easy. It most often involves writing a check or volunteering a couple hours, then our commitment is fulfilled.

We shouldn't get off the hook so easily. It's a temporary relief for those on the receiving end that demands little of either side in the process. You can and often do walk away after you've given someone a handout. There's nothing wrong with it, but I think Jesus's command to love our neighbors asks for a committment of a different level. Building community is much more difficult, but the dividends are far greater.

Larry James of Central Dallas Ministries likes to use the term "hand up" as opposed to "hand out." CDM has a network of programs and partners designed to move people forward, to give them a hand up through the system, whether it be food, housing, health care, legal aid, job skills, employment, or something else. While we don't have the infrastructure of CDM, the philosophy is important.

You give a hand up to a friend. It takes more of a commitment, because you're invested in someone's well-being. A relationship has formed, and there is now a life and a distinct set of circumstances behind that face. It is much more difficult to walk away from a relationship, but funny enough, when you have a relationship with someone, it's easier to go the extra mile.

This ministry will seek to build friendships between church members and our neighbors. When we are friends, our interests become mutual. In a community, all sides contribute to the health of each other. As we get to know each other, I suspect we will find much to gain on all sides. I think that's God's plan for Christian community.

A church that insulates itself from its community or flees from it is no church at all. That's not the Body Jesus died to save. Neither should a building be the only recognizable presence of the church within its community.